Morning journal and courier., 1887-08-03
WHY ARIIA HEATHEN?
Wong Chin Foo's Ideas About Chris
 tfan1tY.

Wong Chin Foo's Ideas About Chris
 tianlty.
 From the North American Review for August.1
 It is not only because I want to be honest and to be sure of heavenly home that I sign myself ssYour Heathen," but because i want to be as happy as can in order to live longer; and believe I can live longer hero by being sincere and practical in my faith.
 In the first place my faith does not teach me predestination, nor that my life is what the gods hath long foreordained, but it is what make it myself; and naturally much of this depends on the way I live. Unlike Christianity, 'four'' church is not eager for converts; but, like Freemasonry, we think our religious doctrine strong enough to at tract the seekers after light and truth to offer themselves without urging or proselytizing efforts. It e-eminently teaches me to mind my own business, to be contented with what I have, to possess mind that is tranquil and body at ease at all times-in a word it says ''Whatsoever ye would not that others should do unto you, do ye not even so unto them" We believe that if we are not able to do anybody any good, we should do noth- ing at all to harm them. This is better than the restless Christian doctrine of ceaseless act1on. 1dlenesS IS no wrong Wuen actlOnS fail to bring forth fruits of merit. It is these fruit1ess trials of one thing and anoth- CT that produce 50 much trouble and misery in Christian society.
 We heathen believe in the happiness of common humanity, while the Christians only practical belief appears to be money making (golden-calf worshipping); and there is more money to be made by being "in the swim" as Christian than by being heath en. Even Christian preacher makes more money in one year than heathen banker in two. I do not blame them for their money- making, but for their way of making it.
 How many eminent Christian preachers sincerely believe in all the Christian myster- ies they preacha And yet it is policy to be apparently in earnest; in fact some are in real earnest rather from force of habit than otherwise-lke a Bowery auctioneer, who, to make trade, provides customers too-to keep up the appearance of rushing business. The more converts made, the more profit to the church and the more wealth in the pock- ct of the dominic. How would the hundreds of thousands of these Christian ministers in the United States make their living if they did not bulldoze it out of the pockets of the credulous by making the f'pews' believe what the "pulpit" does nota
 Nor do we heathen believe in a machine way of doing good If we find man starv- ing in the streets we do not wait until we find the overseer of the poor, nor for the un- winding of other civilized red tape before relieving the mans hunger. If heathen sees man fall from 8 tree-top and seriously | injure himself, he does not first run to hos pital for an ambulance, nor does the ambu- 1ance-man first want to know what precinct | the injured man belongs to, but forthwith he | is cared for and taken to the nearest shelter 1 for other needed treatment, and when the l danger is over then red tape may come in the Christian machinery. If we do anything | charitable we do not advertise it like the Christian, nor do we suppress knowledge of 1 the meritorious acts of others to humor ouI vanity or gratify our spleen. An instance oi this was conspicuous during the Memphis l yellow fever epidemic few years ago, and